The present invention concerns electronic data processing, and more particularly concerns a method for sharing the execution of a function among multiple processors when one of the processors has insufficient data to execute the function alone.
Word processing took a giant leap with the advent of microprocessor-based dedicated word processors and personal computers. Previous mainframe-based text processing programs, lacking a wide bandwidth between memory and text display on a terminal, and requiring time-sharing the program among multiple users, could not attain enough speed for a real-time "wysiwg" (what you see is what you get) type word processor (WP). Presently available personal computers and dedicated word processors do successfully implement this type of WP for a single user, and their use is widespread.
However, in many cases it is desirable to house high-speed word processing programs in multiple-user minicomputers, for example. The cost of a minicomputer with terminals serving each person in a department is much less than the cost of providing individual personal computers and programs for each person, and has other advantages such as central storage of departmental records. The incremental cost of providing word processing (WP) on such a minicomputer would be low; but speeds are still not nearly high enough to provide the kind of WP functions people have come to expect from single-user machines.